Adding and editing elements.
To build a model, we do three steps:
| STEP 2: | Open the element's dialog-box |
This is STEP 2: How to open an element's dialog-box.
There are many different ways to open an element's dialog-box. It is helpful to know different procedures for different circumstances.
In all cases, we must be able to select the element before we can open its dialog-box. We can select the element in three different places:
How to open a dialog-box to edit an element
There are four main methods.
This procedure is the most reliable.
You can edit or delete an element when it is in the Selection-Window.
Summary:
| 1. | Click the element, to put it in the Selection-Window. |
| 2. | Right-click the element in the Selection-Window |
| 3. | Click 'Edit element' in the contextual-menu. |
How to show an element in the Selection-Window?
To show the element in the Selection-Window, you must 'click the element [to select it] in the graphic-area or the Assembly-Tree' - see below.
However, ... :
| • | ... not all elements show in the Assembly-Tree |
There are elements you can click in the graphic-area, and they will show in the Selection-Window.
For example: a 'wire'. Click the wire in the graphic-area to put it in the Selection-Window.
| • | ... not all elements show in the graphic-area |
You can usually click the parent of these elements, to put the element's child in the Selection-Window.
For example: the Constraint added to a sketch-Element. Click a Line to put the Line and constraints that are applied to the Line in the Selection-Window.
 Click element in the Graphic-Area |
| 1. | Put the element in the Selection-Window. |
We must click the element, or 'select' the element, to put it in the Selection-Window.
We can click the element in two places:
Click the element in the Graphic-area:
| a) | Move your mouse over the element so that the element becomes the 'Selection-Colour' - for simplicity, I assume the Selected-Colour is RED |
| b) | Click the element ONE-TIME. |
The element shows in the Selection-Window.
Related elements also show in the Selection-Window.
|
 Click element in the Assembly-Tree |
- OR -
Click the element in the Assembly-Tree.
| a) | Click the element ONE-TIME |
The element shows in the Selection-Window.
Related elements may also show in the Selection-Window.
|
 'Edit-element' in contextual menu after 'right-click of an element in the Selection-Window' |
When the element is in the Selection-Window:
| 2. | Right-click the element in the Selection-Window |
A contextual-menu shows - see image
| 3. | Click 'Edit-element' in the contextual-menu. |
The element's dialog-box opens.
See image:
In this case, when you click 'Edit element...', the Spring FB dialog-box opens.
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Double-click does not always work because you can not click the element and not also click a different element.
Summary:
| 1. | Double-click the element in the, |
 Double-click to open the element's dialog-box |
| 1. | Move your mouse-pointer above the element |
The element becomes the 'highlight-colour' - see
It is important that the only one element is the 'highlight colour' Red / Orange is the default colour].
| 2. | Double-click the element in the graphic-area |
When there are many elements in the same place, it can be difficult to double-click only the element. you want to edit.
In this case, do one or all, of the following:
| • | Become precise with your mouse-pointer! Edit the Cursor Selection size - See |
| • | to make it possible to select only the element type you want to edit. |
| • | to hide other elements. |
|
 Double-Click element in Assembly-Tree |
Double-click in the Assembly-Tree
| 1. | Double-click the element in the . |
|
 Double-Click element in Selection-Window |
Double-click in the Selection-Window
| 1. | Click the element in the graphic-area or the Assembly-Tree one time so that it shows in the Selection-Window. |
When the element is in ,
| 2. | Double-click the element in the Selection-Window. |
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Summary:
| 1. | Right-click the element in the Selection-Window, the Assembly-Tree and Graphic-Area |
| 2. | Click 'Edit-Element in the contextual-menu. |
 Click, then Right-Click in Assembly-Tree |
In the Assembly-Tree:
| 1. | Click the element in the Assembly-Tree to give it 'the focus' |
| 2. | Right-click the the element with the focus [the element has been clicked one time to give it the 'focus'] |
The contextual-menu shows. In the contextual-menu:
| 2. | Click 'Edit Element...' |
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In the Graphic-Area:
Do NOT click the element before. This will NOT work if the element already has 'the focus'
| 1. | Hover + Right-click an element. |
| 2. | Click 'Edit Element' in the contextual-menu. |
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Do:
| 1. | Click the Element in the Selection-Window, Assembly-Tree or Graphic-Area |
|
 Click element in Graphic-Area  Click element in Assembly-Tree |
Procedure Details:
In the Graphic-area, Assembly-Tree, or Selection-Window:
| 1. | Click the element in the Selection-Window |
or
| 1. | Click the element in the graphic-area |
or
| 1. | Click the element in the Assembly-Tree |
|
 Click 'Edit-Element' icon in Edit menu |
The element's dialog-box opens.
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Special Cases:
![CANNOT EDIT [Add Dimension is active]](ga-editdimension-cannot-edit.png "CANNOT EDIT [Add Dimension is active]") CANNOT EDIT
[Add Dimension is active] |
Need to Know 1:
You CANNOT edit a dimension when Add Dimension [or any other command] is active.
See image to the left - Add Dimension is active, thus you CANNOT edit the dimension.
Need to know 2:
To select the dimension, we recommend you move your pointer over the arrowhead, then click, or double-click. This is because it easier than the dimension-line or an extension-lines.
Need to know 3:
If you try to click the dimension number - 73.82 in the image below - MechDesigner will not respond.
|
 CAN EDIT |
To edit a Dimension:
You must de-select any command that is active. Most typically, Add Dimension is active
| 1. | Click again, to de-select |
Then edit the element in the normal way E.g.:
| 2. | Double-Click the arrowhead of a dimension to open Edit Dimension dialog-box |
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When you click a Gear-Pair or 2D-Cam it is possible that you click a total of four elements:
| • | the Gear-Pair (or 2D-Cam) |
| • | a Profile and Extrusion element. |
In this case, to edit the Gear-Pair (or 2D-Cam), we recommend you use the Selection-Window - See Here
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To edit a Profile, or Auto-Profile.
| 1. | Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to spin the model, so that you can see the pink [default colour] Profile Element. |
| 2. | Double-click the pink Profile element |
- or -
| 1. | Click the pink Profile element one time. |
The Profile and Extrusion elements are now in the Selection-Window.
| 2. | Right-click the Extrusion element in the Selection-Window[not the Profile element] |
| 3. | Click 'Edit element...' in the contextual-menu. |
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You cannot edit an element when:
| • | A different dialog-box is open. Close all other dialog-boxes. [ALT+F4 if you cannot see the dialog] |
| • | You double-click two or more elements. You will open none or one dialog-boxes. |
| • | A command is active, in the . You must complete or cancel that command. |
| • | You click or double-click an element that is not possible to edit - for example, a Line when using the Part-Editor. |
| • | If you double-click a Profile in the Selection-Window you will not edit the Extrusion |
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To edit a dimension in the Part-Editor